Fence



UNITED STATES PATENT Erice.

CHRISTIAN MARSCH, OF HERMANN, MISSOUR.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATIONiorming part of Letters Patent No. 597,684, dated January 18, 1898.'

I .Application filed February 20, 1897. Serial No. 624,399. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, CHRISTIAN Manson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hermann, in the county of Gasconade and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to-make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in felices, and has for its object to provide a fence which is simple in construction and thereby adapted to be set up or taken down, as the case may be, without the necessity for outlaying labor or expense, and it further aims to provide a fence which is so constructed that the same shall eiect an economization of the ground over which the fence is placed'.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fence in which when set up on uneven ground the panels shall bearsuch relation to each other that the adjoining ends thereof will always overlap each other, thus overcoming openings or passages through which small animals may pass from one field to another. y

'Vith these objects in view the invention consists, substantially, in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all of which will be fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a fence constructed in ace cordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof, taken through one of the posts. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of oneof the posts, the latter being in the position which it occupies when planting the same in the ground; and Fig. 4' is a longitudinal sectional plan view taken through the upper rails of the fence-panels.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the posts of the fence. Each of said posts is formed of upper and lower sections, (desig nated, respectively, by 2 and 3,) and said lower section 3 is preferably pointed at its lower end to facilitate the insertion ot the same into the ground, the sides of the lower section 3 converging toward each other at the lower end of the section. The upper section of the post lis formed of a plurality of spaced parallel members 4, the lower ends of the said members being pivoted to opposite sides of the upper end of the lower section 3 by means of a bolt 5 or its equivalent arranged transversely of the lower section 3, and through the medium of the bolt 5 it is evident that the members 4ot' the upper section 2 are adapted to be swung at various angles with respect to the lower section 3. It will be noted that the lower ends of the members 4 are rounded, whereby a free swinging of said members 4 may be had, and in order that said members may be retained in their proper relation to each other when the panels of the fence are placed therebetween a securing-loop 6 is employed, said loop being hingedly connected to one of the members 4 by a staple 7 or its equivalent, the size of the loop 6 being just sufficient so as to allow the same being swung over the opposite member 4 when the fence-panels are placed between said members. When the securingdoop 6 is disengaged from the member opposite to that upon which it is hinged, both of the members 4 are movable independently of each other.

From the fact that the posts l are formed of jointed sections it is obvious that the insertion thereof into the ground may be more easily accomplished than posts formed of av single piece, and in order that the post may be readily driven into the ground the upper end of the lower section 3 is squared or dat. By reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings the position of each of the posts when inserting the latter into the ground is clearly shown, and it will be noted that when one of the sections 4 isfolded down and lies upon the ground the same will form a gage by which the distance which the lower section 3 is required to be inserted into the ground may be indicated. For driving the lower section 3 a removable pin 8 is employed, and said pin is seated upon the upper end of the lower section 3 and slidably connected to the perpendicular member 4 of the upper section 2 by means of a ring 9, carried by said member, which ring may be formed oi wire or other IOC.

suitable material, said ring holding the pin S in the proper position for the same to receive the blows of a hammer or maul or other device for driving purposes. Through the medium of the pin S it is obvious that the blows of the hammer will not be imparted to the lower section 3, and thus the latter is prevented being mutilated in any degree whatever, and after the section 3 has been forced into the ground the required distance, which is indicated by member 4 coming in contact with said ground, the driving-pin 8 may be removed from the ring 9 and used in connection with another post in inserting the latter. The member 4 of the upper section 2, which remains in a perpendicular position when driving the post, also forms a gage by which the verticality of the post is indicated to the workman, and by means of this it is apparent that all the posts will receive a uniform vertical position.

The panels of the fence may be of any suitable construction; but, as shown in the drawings, the same comprise substantially rectangular frames formed by upper and lower rails 10 and 11, respectively, connected by panel uprights 12, the uprights 12 being located a suflicient distance from the ends of the upper and lower rails 10 and 11 as to permit said rails extending a slight distance from the uprights 12, and by reason of this the projecting ends of the rails 10 and 11 may be inserted between the parallel members 4 of the upper sections 2 of the posts when erecting the fence, the adjacent ends of the panels overlapping between said parallel members 4. The frames of the panels may be provided with meshed fabric 13 for closing the same, or any other suitable material may be employed for this purpose.

The manner of setting up the herein-described fence will be clearly seen by those familiar in the art, and when it is required to erect the posts one of the parallel members 4 is folded down in the manner described, so that said member will form a gage for the purpose hereinbefore stated, and after the driving-pin 8 has been inserted through the ring 9 and seated upon the upper end of the lower section 3 of each of the posts said pin is adapted to receive the blows of the driving implement employed for forcing the sections 3 into their proper positions. Immediately upon positioning each of the posts the pin 8 is removed and the member 4, which is folded down, is then returned toits normal position, the panels of the fence being first placed between the members 4 before the one which is lowered is returned to its normal position. Vhen the panels have been thus placed, the loops 6 are swung over the upper ends of the parallel members 4, thereby securing said members together and retaining the panels between the same, and after this has been accomplished the fence is in its erected position and requires no further attention. The distance, however, between the upper end of the lower section 3 and the securing-loop G of the post is such that the panels may have any desired amount of vertical movement between the parallel members 4, and by reason of this the panels will always overlap one another whether the fence be upon level or undulating ground.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that l have provided a fence which is exceedingly simple in construction, and by reason of this the same may be set up by a single person and With but a small expenditure of time necessary for the same. Furthermore, it will be noted that the fence occupies but a minimum amount of the ground, and when placed upon undulating ground the panels will always bear a proper relation one to another, so that no opening or passage whatever will be left between the adjoining` ends of the panels through which small animals could pass.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. In a fence, a post comprising a plurality of jointed sections, one of which is adapted to be inserted in the ground, and the other adapted to receive the panels of the fence, said panel-receiving section comprising a plurality of spaced parallel members pivoted at opposite sides of the member which is inserted into the ground, and a securingeloop hin gedly connected to one of the members and adapted to be swung over the opposite member when the fence-panels are placed between said members, whereby said panels are retained therebetween and the members locked together, substantially as described.

2. In a fence, a post comprising a plurality of jointed sections, one of which is adapted to be inserted into the ground, and the other adapted to receive the panels of the fence, said panel-receiving section comprising a plurality of spaced parallel members pivoted at opposite sides of the member which is inserted into the ground, a securing-loop hingedly connected to one of said members and adapted to be swung over the other member to lock said members together and retain therebetween the panels of the fence, and a ring carried by one of said members and adapted`to hold a removable pin upon said member for driving the post into the ground, substantially as described.

3. In a fence, a post comprising a plurality of jointed sections, one of said sections being adapted to be driven into the ground, and the other section adaptedy to receive the panels of the fence, said panel-receiving section comprising a plurality of spaced parallel members pivoted at opposite sides of the section which is inserted into the ground, and a securing-loop hingedly connected to one of said IOO members and adapted ce be swung over the other member for looking said members rogether so as to retain therebetween the panels of the fenee, the space between the seeion of the pest which is inserted into the ground and the securing-loep being,` sufficient to permit vertieal movement of the renee-pan els between said parallel members, substantially as described.

el. In a fence, the combination With a pst Comprising' a'plurality of jointed sections, one of which is adapted to be inserted into the ground, the other section comprising a plurality of spaced parallel members pivoted at opposite sides of the section which is inserted into the ground, and each independently movable, whereby one of said members is adapt-ed to be swung downwardly to provide a gage for determining the distance to which the seetion of the post adapted to be inserted into the ground may be driven therein, the other member constituting a gage for determining the vertieality of the post, of a ring carried by one of said members and adapted to receive a removable driving-pin for holding the same on said member, a securing-loop hingedlg.7 Connected no one of the members and adapted to be swung over Jelle othero lock said members togei'her, and a series of panels arranged between said parallel menibers and overlapping each other therein, the space between the securing-loop and the seet-ion of the post which is driven into the ground being` sueh as to permit; Vertical movement of the panels between said parallel members, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speeiiioation in the presence of two subscribing;` Witnesses.

CHRISTIAN MARSCH.

Witnesses:

CONRAD KLINGE, ADOLPH SCHLEMEIER. 

